Robin Hood and the Costume Party
by Dorthey Star
Summary: [complete] First of all, it was a costume party. Second, Malfoy was throwing it. Third, and perhaps most important, the love of my life was going to be there…with Malfoy. Angsty! Ron, Masked!Draco, and Goddess!Hermione. RR


**Robin Hood and the Costume Party**

By Dorthey Star

His eyes upon your face 

_His hand upon your hand_

_His lips caress your skin_

_It's more than I can stand_

_Feelings I can't fight_

_You're free to leave me but_

_Just don't deceive me_

_And please believe me when I say_

_I love you _

_-_El Tango De Roxanne, Moulin Rouge

I knew this whole thing was going to turn out to be a disaster. I told Harry this several times. First of all, it was a _costume party_. Second, Malfoy was throwing it. Third, and perhaps most important, the love of my life was going to be there…with Malfoy. Of course, Harry didn't know that she was the love of my life. He just assumed that I didn't like costume parties, which I don't. If _she_ was my date, however, I might have reconsidered my dislike of them. 

                Harry, I knew, wasn't fond of costume parties either. For a fleeting moment I had thought that maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to talk him out of going. But at that crucial moment, my dear, darling sister walked into the room and squealed with delight over the prospect of a costume party. Harry threw me an apologetic look. 

                That, in a nutshell, is why I, Ron Weasley, ended up in the grand Entrance Hall at Malfoy Manor, dressed as none other than _Robin Hood_, tights and all. Harry and Ginny, of course, had decent costumes on. Ginny looked nice in her bottle green princess gown- cone shaped hat and all- while Harry looked all right in his prince costume. At least he didn't have to wear _tights_. 

                I wasn't really sure how I allowed Ginny to talk me into wearing this ridiculous costume. Robin Hood had always been her favorite story, and, being her older brother, I always tried making my little sis happy. 

                Perhaps I'd gone too far this time. 

                At any rate, Harry looked as though he wasn't going to mind this party after all, and Ginny looked absolutely thrilled at being here. She never missed an opportunity to flaunt Harry. I frowned and followed them into the ballroom. 

                The host wasn't at the door greeting the guests, as a good host should. My frown deepened when I realized where he must be. The only place that he could _possibly_ be was somewhere with her, the love of my life. I scowled outright at this thought and, unfortunately for me, Ginny looked at me. 

                "Oh, for heaven's sake! Will you be a little more grown up and stop sulking over the costume?" she snapped at me before whirling around and dragging Harry to the dance floor. I took a glass of wine from the bar nearby and sat down at a table by myself. I took a good look around the room, amusing myself by picking out people I recognized. 

                Susan Bones was dressed as a mermaid (the Muggle image of one, of course) and her date, Neville Longbottom, was dressed as pirate. 

                Blaise Zabini was dressed as a giant olive. He was, of course dateless, and I pitied him for a moment, before remembering that I, too, had tights on. I scowled again. I searched the room again before finding another couple I knew. 

                Lavender Brown was with Seamus Finnegan. He was a leprechaun while she was an angel. I drained the glass, which automatically filled itself up. The song that had been playing ended and Ginny and Harry made their way over to where I was sitting.

                "You're not going to sit here sulking in this corner drinking all night, are you Ron?" Ginny sighed as she sat down across from me. 

                "I can't say that I blame him. I'm just glad you didn't make me wear tights," Harry sniggered as he sat down next to me. I glared at Harry. 

                "You haven't seen Hermione, have you Ron? She was telling me about her costume yesterday and I've just been _dying_ to see it," Ginny said, looking around the room for her. I opened my mouth about to make what would have no doubt been a witty remark, when I saw her. 

                She looked prettier than I had ever seen her, and that included the Yule Ball from fourth year. Her chestnut curls were piled on top of her head, held back by some sort of gold ribbons. She wore a plain white toga style dress that was decorated with a simple gold rope crisscrossing across the front. Her shoes were plain gold colored ones and she wore no jewelry. 

                Except for her engagement ring. 

                Don't get me wrong; I expected this would happen sooner or later. In fact, I'd gotten the suspicious feeling that the reason for this party was because of her engagement. 

                It didn't mean that I was prepared to see it for real. 

                I continued to watch the sickening display that she was providing. Sure, they were in a corner, and it_was_ his house. But couldn't they have spared my feelings just once? Malfoy and Hermione were standing close to each other, each whispering into the other's ear. He would say something witty and she would laugh softly. How I wished that _I_ could be the one to make her laugh like that. He would reach down and kiss her lightly on the lips and his hand would wander lower down her back before she would swat at his arm and the hand would dutifully move back to where it had been before starting its descent once more. 

                Malfoy, of course, was not wearing tights. In fact, as much as I hated to admit it, his costume was by far the best that I had seen, including Harry's. He wore all black, including a mask that covered his eyes. He had a scabbard around his waist that held a fencing sword. I could recognize the costume from anywhere. He was Zorro, my childhood hero. Malfoy, feeling my gaze, looked up and me and smirked as if to say 'I got the girl.' I scowled again and looked away. 

                "He must have spotted them," Ginny, noticing my scowl, said brightly and made her way towards the couple, who were reluctantly pulling apart. 

                "I think I'm going to head on home. I've come, she's seen me, so I'm free to leave," I said, standing up and sighing. The ach is my heart was growing stronger. _Whoever goes out looking for love must be nutters_, I thought to myself as I said my good byes to Harry and left the party. 

**Disclaimer:** all the characters belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, Scholastic Books, and various other people. I'm borrowing them for my own enjoyment and am making **_no_** profit. Robin Hood and Zorro don't belong to me either. I'm only borrowing them because I imagine that Ron looks like a prat in tights and that Draco looks sexy in black *grins*

**Author's Note:** This was originally suppose to be Draco/Ginny with Harry pining after Ginny, but I thought I needed to do some Ron/Hermione bashing, and that I needed to get back to my Draco/Hermione roots, what with the new story being D/G and all *grins* Please review, and if I get any "Ron/Hermione rules!!!!!" kind of reviews, well, thanks for your input, however wrong it might be *winks* Aww, you know I love all my reviewers. If I would, I would buy all of you...umm…a nice candy bar ^_^ 


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